Automatic stop device.



R. o. WOTTEN. AUTOMATIC STOP DBYIGE. APPLICATION FILED SE1T.2,'1913.

Patented July 7, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

:S4/Wenko@ K. C. VVooT -r e N Al L gutem/1mi THE NORRIS PETERS FO., PHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON, D4 C,

R. c. WooTTEN. AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1913.

' Patented July 7, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

` innen/to@ VV O O T TE N 'lHE NORRIS PETERS V() PHOTOvLJTHl).A WASHINGTON, D.

ROBERT C. WOOTTE-N, OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 2, 1913. Serial No. 787,769.

VStoplkvices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automatic stop devices for railroad block signaling systems and has for its primary object to provide simple and eflicient electrically controlled means for automatically cutting olf the supply of steam to the engine ofaJ locomotive and simultaneously releasing the air so that the brakes are applied.

My invention has for another of its objects to provide simple, inexpensive, and durable means primarily controlled and actuated by an electromagnet in the cab of the locomotive, whereby head on and rear end collisions may be averted, as well as all danger of a train ruiming into an open switch or side swiping a train on the switch rails.

The yinvention has forl another and more specific object the provision of a compound lever' connected to a steam supply -controlling valve in the dome of the locomotive boiler and to an air release valve, springs for actuating said lever to operate the valves, -a trip device to hold said lever against operation bythe springs, andan electromagnet for actuating the trip device to release said lever.

`With the aboveand other objects in view, as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, combination, and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operating circuit and showing two locomotives in dotted outline approaching each other upon the same track; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing two trains traveling in the same direction; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a section of the track; Fig. l is a similar view, illustrating the circuit connections at a switch; Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the steam and air valve operat- Patented July 7, 1914. i

ing lever and associated parts; Fig. G is a i Y side elevation thereof; Fig. 7 Ais a detail section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; Fig. '8 1s a detail section through the dome of the boiler showing the steam cut olf valve; Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8,; Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail View of the an' release Valve; Fig. 11 is a section taken on the line 11--11 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 isa top plan View of the boiler dome showing a slightly modified means of connection ybetween the valve stem and the operating lever. Fig. 13 is a section taken on the line 18-1-3 of Fig. 12. y y

Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, A and B illustrate two locomotives traveling in opposite directions or toward each other upon the same track. One of the track rails is divided into blocks or sections, indi-y cated at R, said rail sections being joined by the insulating blocks R in the usual manner. Each of the locomotives carries an electric battery 5, `the same preferably bef ing mounted upon the pony pilot. One terminal of the battery is connected by a wire G to the front aXle of the forward truck, as clearly shown in the drawing. The other battery terminal is connected by the wire 7 to an velectromagnet 8 arranged in the cab of the locomotive. A wire 9 extends yfrom the electromagnet 8 to a revoluble wheel or shoe 10, suitably mounted in advance of the front truck wheels. This shoe is adapted to engage with a series of contact rails or blocks 11 which are centrally arranged bctween the track rails and above the plane thereof. These contact rails may be disposed at any desired distance apart and the alternate contactk rails are connected by means of the wires 12 to the adjacent rail blocks or sections R. of the track. In' other words, as shown in Fig. 1, four ofthe kcontact rails 1l are disposed above one of the block sections R. One pair of these contact rails are connected to the next block section R in advance of the train or locomotive A, while the other pair of contact rails are con nected to the block section rearwardly of the forwardend of the locomotive. Referring now to Sheet 2 of the drawings, 13 designates a bracket plate which is mounted'in a suitable boX or housing and upon this .plate a lever is fulcrumed, as indicated at 14C.'y This lever is provided with esA three arms, designated by t-he numerals 15, 16v and 17, respectively. To one end ofthe bracket 13 a post or standard l18 `is fixed, and upon said post the disk 19 is secured. This disk is provided adjacent its periphery with an arcuate shaped slot 20 and upon arm 25 which is provided with the stud` 24. The other end of this spring is engaged with or secured to the bracket plate 13.

kUpon the face of the disk 19 wherein the vjlatch plate 21 is mounted, a trip lever 23 is fulcrumed, as at 29, and is provided with an angular end 30 for engagement with the end of the latch plate 21 to hold said plate against pivotal move-v ment. A leaf spring 31 on the disk 19 bears at its free end against the extension 30 of the lever and yieldingly holds the same in engagement with the latch plate. An arm 32is fixed at one of its ends uponthe disk 1,9'and is 4provided with spaced ears 33 between which one end of a trip rod 34 is pivotally mounted. The other end ofthis rod is provided ywith a weight 35.

36 designates a bolt or pin fixed tok or integrally formeel withl an armature plate 37. This pin is mounted in the arm 32 and l is adapted to support the trigger rod 34 lin an elevated position, as Shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.- The armature plate 37 is of course opposed to the core of the electromagnet 3.

A coil spring 33 is connectedat one of its ends to the bracket 13 and has its other end attached to the arm 16 of the lever. A

' similar spring 39 is connected to the other V,lever arm 15 and to the bracket plate. The

arm 17 of the lever has a roller 40 mounted upon its end which is engaged by one of the .arms 42 of the member 41 which is fixed upon the shaft 26. The other arm`43 of this member is provided upon its end with a shoulder 44 which is adapted to` engage alug or pin 45, secured to the arm 17. The

arm 42 bearing against the roller 40' materially assists in effecting a quick movement rof the compound lever member when 1- said lever is released by the actuation of the trip device.` The arm 15 of the lever is connected by means of a rod 46 to the arm 47 secured to one end of a rock shaft 48 mount#` ed in the dome of the locomotiveboiler.

49 designates the conductingpipe which receives the steam from the boiler dome and ra suitable vcasing arranged in the air line vof the valve, ywhen the arm 54 is' actuated. lIt will be readily apparent that by propipe `and is provided with an obliquely disposed transverse port 56 which is'adapted totraverse the vertical ports57 provided at diametrically opposite lpoints'in the casing viding the obliquely disposed'port56 in the rotary valve member, the release of the air from the airline pipe will be gradual'. rThus e the brakes *willl be applied and the' train 85 brought to a stop.

In Figs.r 12 and 13 of the drawings, l have shown a slightly modiied means for operating the steam cut oH' valve which em- Y bodies the lever 58 fulcrumed intermediate of its ends upon a standard 59 secured to the dome of the locomotive boiler. One end of this lever is connected to the stem of the cut off valve 50 while the other end thereof is connected bymeans of a rod 6,0 to one arm of a bell crank leverv 61 fulcrumed upon the boiler dome. The other `arm of this le'- ver is connected to the armv 15 of ftheelec# trically controlled operating lever. f

In Fig. 1 of the' drawings, the two locomo- `100 tives are illustrated approaching eachV other as in a head on collision, and in Fig. 2, the locomotives are traveling in the saine jdirection as ina rear end collision. The operating circuit is precisely the samefinfeach in'-` stance and it is, therefore, understood that the following description applies with equal force` to both illustrations: Assumingv that the locomotives A andB have moved into adjacent blocks, and the shoes 10 have been io engaged with one of the contact `rails 11` that are disposed above each block, the eircuit is closed as follows: from. the battery 5 through the shoe 10 of the locomotive A, wire 12 to the next adjacent block rail R 1'15 in which kthe engine" B is traveling, from said block rail R through the pony .truck axle of locomotivek B and thence to opposite rail and through said opposite rail back to vlocomotive A, whence the current flows to the ponyy truck axle of locomotive A, wiie 6, battery 5, wire 7, electromagnet 3 and wire 9 back again to the shoe 10. Thus itwillbe. seen that'the circuit is closed through thebattery and electromagnet carried by the appreaching locomotive A and the magnet 8 will thus become energized,'whereupon the armatures 37 will be attracted and the pins 36 moved to ,release the trigger rods v34. These rods swing downwardly by gravity into engagement with the respective levers 28, thereby releasing the latch plates 21. It will be understood thatthe end 30 of` the lever 28 bearing against the latch plate 21, which in turn engages the pin 24 on the arm 25 fixed tothe shaft 26, holds said shaft against rotation under the action ofthe spring 27, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.' The spring 27 acts in conjunction with the arm 42 bearing against the roller on the end `of the lever arm 17 and also in conjunction with the spring 39, to actuate the compound lever. The arms 1'5 and 1G of said lever immediately act through the connections above described to close the steam cut o valve 50 and open the air release valve 55. The supply of steam for the. yoperationot the engine is cut off and the application of the brakes in each locomotive simultaneously effected so that both trains are immediately brought to a stop without requiring any manual operation whatever.`

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have shown the circuit used at a siding, wherein 62 indicates the switch rails. One of these switch rails is constructed of block sections 62', while the other switch rail consists of a single section suitably insulated from the main siding rail. This latter switch rail is wired, as indicated at 63 to the main line track rails. Assuming that a locomotive is approaching a closed switch when the shoe 10 of such locomotive comes in contact with the contact rail 11, the `circuit is closed through wire 64, wire 68 to the switch stand contacts G7. The switch bar ('35 being moved toopen the switch, will move the movable Contact 66 between the stationary contacts (i7, thereby connecting the wire 69 to the main rail and back to the truck axle of the locomotive. From the axle, the current will flow through the wire 6 to the battery 5, wire T to the electromagnet 8 and wire 9, thereby completing the circuit. To prevent side swiping on a siding', should a locomotive approach a siding with another locomotive or train on the siding not in the clear the approaching locomotive when its shoe 10 makes contact with one of the contact rails 11 which is connected to the wire 64: the contacts 66 would be disconnected. Hence, the current would flow through the wire 611 around the switch stand to the switch rail `62,-through the truck axle of the locomotive tomatically applied, thus bringing the approaching loco-motiveto a stand-still before it passes into the switch.

From the foregoing, the construction and manner of operation ot'. my invention will be clearly and fully understood. By means of the same, trains may be stopped at any desired distance apart and serious accidents thus averted.

It is to be understood that while l". have shown and described the specilic construction of the steam cut o and air release valves, I do notpropose to limit myself thereto, as other valve constructions now in common use may be substituted if desired. The invention is also susceptible of a great many other modifications in the form, proportions and arrangement of the several parts employed' and I therefore reserve the right to resort to all such legitimate changes asmay be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention, as claimed.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed, is:

1. ln an automatic train stop device, the combination with the steam cut oit and air release valves, of a lever having a pair of arms connected to the respective valves, a spring controlled arm, means movable with said arm to hold the lever against movement, a latch plate to hold said spring controlled arm against movement under the action of the spring, a lever to engage the latch plate and hold the same against movement, a gravity movable trigger to engage said lever, and release the latch plate, means for supporting the trigger against gravity movement, an electromagnet adapted to actuate said supporting means when the magnet is energized to release the trigger for gravity movement, and means `for operating said first named lever when the spring controlled arm is released by the latch plate, whereby the steam cut oli valve and the air release valve are simultaneously opere ated.

2. In an automatic train stop device, the combination with the steam cut ofi and air release valves, of a lever fulcrumed intermediate ot its ends, connections between the opposite ends of said lever and therespective valves, said lever being provided with an arm, a spring actuated rock shaft, a stud on the lever arm, means o-n the rock shaft to engage said stud and hold the lever against movement, means for holding said said' lever when the same is released, where said stud and hold thespring under tension,

by the steam Vcut off and air vrelease valves i a lever to engage the `latch``plate,amember fixed upon the shaft, astudv 'onl the lever arm engaged by .said member whereby the first named lever is held against movement,

- means for actuating said second named lever to release the'la-tch plate, an electro-v magnet to actuate the lever releasing means, a circuitv therefor, and a spring -to'a'etuate said first named lever when the same is re# leased, whereby the steam cut off and .air release valves are' simultaneously operated.

4. In an automatic train stop device,- the combination with'the steam cut'o'li andair release valves, of alever fulcrumed inter-I mediate ofits ends, connections between the oppositeends'of said lever there# spective valves springs connected to the op-y positeends vof the lever to actuate the same,

sa'idv'lever being provided with an arm; af.

operable-1 with `said springv controlled larm .t adaptedto 'engage saidstud and hold Ythe kfirst'named lever-against movement, a grav-V ity 'movable trigger toy actuate the second njamfedf lever and release t-he latch plate, an. .t v

electromagnet, an armature therefor, a pin `fixed-*to thefarmatureto support said trgy gerl agalnstgravlty movement, and an electric 'circu'it'fi'for said magnet whereby, the

net isfenergized' and' the, steam cut 0E and air release valves simultaneously operated. ln testimony whereof I, hereunto aiix my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

. 'ROBERT C. WOOTTEN. 1

Witnesses: 5 t

A.-`J. DAvis, l. W. S.`v'-M1To1-IELL Copieur!! this patent may. be .obtained forhve' cents each, by addressing the Commissioner pf Patents,v

` i Washington, D. C.

o V t lirst named lever isreleased when said mag- 

